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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider P4.2 M worth of smuggled cigarettes seized in Maguindanao del Norte

P4.2 M worth of smuggled cigarettes seized in Maguindanao del Norte

Published Feb 18, 2026 11:50 am
photo: PNP
photo: PNP
Police intercepted and seized around P4.2 million worth of smuggled cigarettes, this time, in Maguindanao del Norte amid the intensified campaign to bust the illegal tobacco trade in the country.
Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the operation started from a tip about an alleged loading activity involving cigarettes in Purok Survive, Barangay Making in Parang town at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Acting on the report, he said responding PNP personnel onboard a mobile patrol vehicle immediately proceeded to the location. However, upon noticing the approaching police vehicle, an undetermined number of male individuals fled in different directions.
The suspects were reportedly in the act of loading suspected smuggled cigarettes into a wing van bearing license plate number JAU 1878. They left behind several boxes of cigarettes in plain view inside a vacant property and within the vehicle.
“This seizure is a vital victory in our broader economic and security strategy. Every stick of smuggled cigarette represents lost revenue that should have funded hospitals, schools, and social services,” said Nartatez.
“We are narrowing the gap for these criminals to operate, and we will continue to hit them where it hurts—their pockets and their logistics,” he added.
Nartatez said the operating team also coordinated with the Bureau of Customs–Sub-Port of Parang and village officials of Barangay Making to witness the inventory.
Recovered from the area were 100 assorted master cases or approximately 5,000 reams of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated market value of P4,278,400.00.
Nartatez lauded the operating teams for their swift response and strategic operation that led to the successful confiscation of tobacco products.
The successful operation is another product of a tip-off regarding the illegal cigarette trade in the country. On Monday, CIDG operatives seized around P70 million worth of smuggled cigarettes based on the information relayed by a netizen who watched a Facebook live of the press conference regarding the raids on cigarette warehouses in Pampanga.
Nartatez stressed that the campaign against illicit trade will be sustained and intensified across key transit corridors across the country.
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